>Be Evan.

>Be 19, two summers before.

>Come home one pristine evening to find parents and Maddie sitting at kitchen table.

>His parents look pissed.

>Maddie munches from a bowl of dry Honey Nut Cheerios. They're out of milk at the moment.

>Just got off the phone with your brother, says Evan's dad.

>Oh, yeah, how is he?

>He's coming home.

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>Jason has done one complete tour in Afghanistan, and left for his second tour in April. The tours are supposed to last nine months.

>Really? It's only been three months.

>He's getting kicked out. Other-than-honorably discharged.

>Why?

>He won't tell us.

>Maddie dumps another handful of Cheerios into her open mouth.

>I'm glad he's coming back, she says, crunching away. I miss him.

>Not like this, honey, says their mom. This isn't good.

>Where's he going to live, asks Evan.

>He says he'll get an apartment but he'll be living here for the time being.

>We're not happy about it, his father says. But we'll deal with it when he gets here.

>When will he be home?

>A week or so. From what he says.

> Evan can tell his parents are furious, particularly his father.

>No one says anything, and the only sound is Maddie crunching her Cheerios.

>Could you eat those a little less obviously, honey, Evan's father snaps at her.

>Maddie seems to shrink in her chair.

>Sorry, she says.

>She chews quietly and slowly.